Things feel a little unsettled around here. I'm almost totally unpacked after our trip, but that's a chore that has un-centered me. I am fresh off of some family/christmas drama. It's all resolved but it took a bit out of me. And, mostly of all, I did something today that I haven't done since September 1992. I started a new job.
I went in for 3 hours this morning for my part-time, temporary gig as a social worker at a local mental health agency. This agency offers counseling services -- which is different than my former employer (doing child protection for the county) -- but the essence of the duties are similar. Meet with folks in challenging situations. Gather social histories, briefly assess the situation, and send them on their way to the appropriate service within the agency. I'm excited but a bit unnerved and overwhelmed at it all. As I told my friend this morning, I had the realization that I could meet with an individual who may later commit suicide. What if I don't do my job correctly and they don't get the services they need? She kindly reminded me I've worked in challenging and stressful situations before, and I can figure it out. Let's hope so.
But it all went very smoothly this morning - the transition to this new life. Three resumed his speech phenology preschool program this morning (perfect timing), and he was excited about the "school bus" (really, a minivan driven by a middle aged guy) taking him and bringing him home. I got One to the bus, Two off to his school, and Three in his van all with a few minutes to spare before work. Work... Feels strange, but good, to say.
I think I underestimated the dress code. I dressed fine today (khakis and a sweater), but it looked like people tend to dress pretty nice. I'm inclined to do a little shopping. Maybe Santa will bring me a couple of skirts.
Ahh, the perils of starting a new job after being unemployed for (gulp) 10 years.
Brrr, cold and grey the last couple of days. Hasn't really inspired me to do much around the house, but I should. Every room needs about 20 minutes of attention. Know what I mean? It's not a disaster, but it's a drag to have every room look disorganized - especially when that's what I feel on the inside. Aha! That's probably a DSM IV diagnosis I should bone up on!
Our trip to Baltimore and NYC was beyond great, but you'll have to wait for the stories and pictures. In re-reading the above paragraph I have a burst of energy to tackle some of the chaos. So I'm off!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
the fog is clearing
It has been a whirlwind past couple of days. Let's review.
Yesterday, I picked up several hundred pounds of beef from the butcher. I had arranged to buy a side of beef from a friend of a friend. This farmer raises cattle humanely and they are pasture fed, and I was happy to stock us up on beef. And we are stocked up! It's a good thing we have two (yes, two) chest freezers, because we are using every last little cubic inch of space in them. Let's hope we don't lose electricity anytime soon.
While loading said beef into the freezer, the phone rang. I figured it was my friend Theresa calling before her visit, but it was a friend (sort of) calling to offer me a job. A very good job -- one in my field (social work), doing something I'm interested in, part time and very nearby my home. At this point it's hourly and temporary -- she needs someone to fill in quickly until they can officially post for the job and get a permanent hire for it. I quickly thought of the cons (where will Three go while I work?????), figured I'd figure it out, and said, "Yes! Thanks!"
And that's where the whirlwind began. Have you ever tried to figure out childcare for your children after never having to figure that out before? I know many (most) parents have, but I had underestimated the confusion and mess - not to mention expense. I'll spare you the details, but I think I have finally figured it out pretty well by now.
If that's not enough, I've been busy readying my family for our roadtrip. We set out tomorrow for the east - first to Canton, OH to the NFL hall of fame (on One's 10th birthday, no less), then to Baltimore for a couple of days to see my bro and sis-in-law, and then to NYC to stay with my cousin's girlfriend for 4 nights (My cousin, unfortunately for us, is in Brazil presently). I've been packing and preparing and getting an I-Pass and Trip Tick and Ipods loaded with games and videos. The boys each have their carry-on bags packed with books and a clipboard and papers and even whiteboards and markers. I picked up a couple of "playaway" books from the library and a book on cd for the radio. 10-day food pellets have been bought for the fish, and the dog is all scheduled for the kennel. I never realized my mom worked so hard before we went on vacation.
In the middle of all of this chaos, I've had a handful of sweet reminders about how blessed I am with the people in my life. Two very generous and kind friends offered to help out with bits of childcare here and there. Another friend called and said, "this just confirms it. Good things DO happen to good people. I'm so glad you got this job!" My parents have totally stepped up and genuinely offered to seriously help with childcare -- something they have never offered before (not that I've had to ask). Not to mention the phone call - a bit out of the blue - from this (sort of) friend offering me this job!
The bags are packed. The beef is all put away. My social security card has been located. The ipods are charging. The childcare plans feel manageable and comfortable.
The fog is lifting.
I have many thanks during this Thanksgiving.
Yesterday, I picked up several hundred pounds of beef from the butcher. I had arranged to buy a side of beef from a friend of a friend. This farmer raises cattle humanely and they are pasture fed, and I was happy to stock us up on beef. And we are stocked up! It's a good thing we have two (yes, two) chest freezers, because we are using every last little cubic inch of space in them. Let's hope we don't lose electricity anytime soon.
While loading said beef into the freezer, the phone rang. I figured it was my friend Theresa calling before her visit, but it was a friend (sort of) calling to offer me a job. A very good job -- one in my field (social work), doing something I'm interested in, part time and very nearby my home. At this point it's hourly and temporary -- she needs someone to fill in quickly until they can officially post for the job and get a permanent hire for it. I quickly thought of the cons (where will Three go while I work?????), figured I'd figure it out, and said, "Yes! Thanks!"
And that's where the whirlwind began. Have you ever tried to figure out childcare for your children after never having to figure that out before? I know many (most) parents have, but I had underestimated the confusion and mess - not to mention expense. I'll spare you the details, but I think I have finally figured it out pretty well by now.
If that's not enough, I've been busy readying my family for our roadtrip. We set out tomorrow for the east - first to Canton, OH to the NFL hall of fame (on One's 10th birthday, no less), then to Baltimore for a couple of days to see my bro and sis-in-law, and then to NYC to stay with my cousin's girlfriend for 4 nights (My cousin, unfortunately for us, is in Brazil presently). I've been packing and preparing and getting an I-Pass and Trip Tick and Ipods loaded with games and videos. The boys each have their carry-on bags packed with books and a clipboard and papers and even whiteboards and markers. I picked up a couple of "playaway" books from the library and a book on cd for the radio. 10-day food pellets have been bought for the fish, and the dog is all scheduled for the kennel. I never realized my mom worked so hard before we went on vacation.
In the middle of all of this chaos, I've had a handful of sweet reminders about how blessed I am with the people in my life. Two very generous and kind friends offered to help out with bits of childcare here and there. Another friend called and said, "this just confirms it. Good things DO happen to good people. I'm so glad you got this job!" My parents have totally stepped up and genuinely offered to seriously help with childcare -- something they have never offered before (not that I've had to ask). Not to mention the phone call - a bit out of the blue - from this (sort of) friend offering me this job!
The bags are packed. The beef is all put away. My social security card has been located. The ipods are charging. The childcare plans feel manageable and comfortable.
The fog is lifting.
I have many thanks during this Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 15, 2010
the car buying saga
Up much earlier than I wanted to be. What is it with sleep these days? It's very elusive.
Anyway, here I sit, listening to my dryer whirl and my washer wish-wash, and I'm thinking about the day. Looks to be fairly typical, save for the fact that Bob is off for a training for work in Ohio for a couple of nights.
I'm relieved to be back to normal. Bob's car died last week (a wheel fell off while he was diving - fortunately he was driving slowly in the parking lot where he was looking at a truck to buy for work, so he wasn't hurt and we didn't have to worry about moving the car right away), so we were swept into the whirlwind of car buying immediately. All of my fantasies about only having one car went out the window when reality hit. I really like (and sometimes need) the convenience of having a car at my ready, and Bob certainly needs one for work -- not only to get to/from work but also to go out and manage the construction jobs he's paid to, well, manage. So, a car-buying we went.
I tried to make it a fun adventure -- and it felt that way, at times. However, we also felt a lot of pressure to buy the right car. We buy cars to own until they fall literally fall apart (see above paragraph), so we wanted to make the right choice. Kids were out of school on Thursday for parent-teacher conferences (more on that later), so off we set.
We dropped my car off to the body shop to get the front bumper replaced (THIRD one replaced - damn low-profile/cheaply made bumpers these days), and picked up a (free) rental car. Kids were psyched to discover there was a third row of seats hidden in the way back, so we took off in comfort. We all noticed the smoky smell when hopping in the car, but to me it had a rather, well, distinct odor. Like that of a blunt. I wondered who exactly had just lit up in the rental car before turning it in.
Kids complained about the odor. I kept the windows cracked and put on 93.1 fm, our local hip-hop station. When in Rome...
After test driving a Mazda 5 (with 100,000+ miles on it - yikes!), we visited our old trusty 1997 Honda CRV to clean it out. We all reflected on how much we loved that car while the kids got to work it out. It has over 200,000 miles on it and many, many memories. It was a good car - terrific in the snow and fun to drive to boot. Before leaving it the last time, the kids even kissed it goodbye. I'll miss the old pine cone. (When we bought this car, it was the first year Honda made CRV's and I thought the name was stupid. I decided it needed a more nature-like name, and the first one that popped into my head was "pine cone". The nickname didn't really take hold, but I've always kind of liked it.)
So, loaded up with the contents of the CRV, we returned to the car lots to check out our other options. In the parking lot of some dealership, I hopped out of the car to look closer at a car on the lot. The kids stayed in the car. I chatted with a salesman, all the while hearing the thump of the bass from 93.1 coming from the car. When I opened the door to get back in, I heard Snoop Dogg on the radio and the smell of marijuana smoke wafted out. I laughed, wondering what that salesman must have been thinking.
Dealership to dealership we went, test driving some (Toyota Scion) and just looking at others. My parents had previously agreed to take the kids so that we could go to Two's parent/teacher conference, so I dropped them off at their house, drove over to pick Bob up at work, and headed back into central Madison to school. We had a great conference, and quickly headed back out to squeeze some more car shopping in, sans kids. (My folks generously agreed to feed the kids and take them to wrestling to give us some more time.)
We test drove a Honda Civic and an Accord - drawn to the great gas mileage. Bob really needs more of a hatchback to haul stuff for work, so we kept on looking. We checked out the Honda Element, which is Bob's "dream" car (?? I don't get it) but it's only a 4 seater. No go for a family of 5. We test drove a Nissan Cube (again with the boxy!). Our time was up, so we headed back to get the kiddos.
Back home to regroup, we tried to narrow down our priorities. How important is a new car? Do we buy foreign or domestic? Do we focus on gas mileage or cargo space? How about all wheel drive? How long do we want this car to last? Should we just get a beater that we can pass on to One when he's of driving age in 6 (really?! only 6!!) years?
I found a very helpful website: www.cargurus.com We stayed up late on Thursday and Friday night, searching through the internet, trying to make a game plan for Saturday. On Saturday morning, we headed out in the cold and rain, determined to find our car. We were willing to travel out of town (had some possibilities in Columbus, Whitewater and Waukesha). We test drove a Nissan Versa and a Kia Soul, and by this time, I realized that it was a distinct possibility that we would end up with one of these quirky, boxy little numbers that I would be slightly embarrassed to be seen in. The kids were fighting and stabbing each other with pencils (you think I'm exaggerating?), so Bob dropped Two and Three and I off at the McDonalds playland for some food and play (both of which were quite depressing), and he and One went back out car shopping.
And then. Bob called me, rather excitedly. He found a 2003 Honda CRV with only 25,000 miles on it at a dealership in Middleton. He was coming over to pick us up to test drive it, but I could tell in his voice that this may be the one. The pulled in, and I gasped - it was very close in color to the very first new car I ever bought -- a 1990 Honda Civic. Felt like good (car)karma! The car looked brand new. The story was that a couple in their 80's hauled this behind their RV when they wintered in Arizona, so it had very low miles on it. I liked the car's back-story.
We went back to the dealership, haggled a bit on the price, got them down a bit, and made the deal. So, we are the proud new owners of a 7 year old car which appears to have been in a time capsule (the plastic protective covering is still on the radio). It has the all wheel drive, which we decided was a number one priority. We are long-time Honda fans, so we feel confident that this car will take us another 200,000 miles. It even has a moon roof! And, in total coincidence, after deciding to buy the car, twice we've been followed by a CRV that looked to be the same year and was definitely the same color.
I have suggested to One and Two (both of whom have become nice storytellers, in part due to a fabulous "writer's workshop" curriculum in their schools) that they should make up a story from the car's perspective -- how the car used to have this quiet life with an older couple who didn't use it much, and now it's about to have a much different life with this loud, wild group of boys.
Kids complained about the odor. I kept the windows cracked and put on 93.1 fm, our local hip-hop station. When in Rome...
After test driving a Mazda 5 (with 100,000+ miles on it - yikes!), we visited our old trusty 1997 Honda CRV to clean it out. We all reflected on how much we loved that car while the kids got to work it out. It has over 200,000 miles on it and many, many memories. It was a good car - terrific in the snow and fun to drive to boot. Before leaving it the last time, the kids even kissed it goodbye. I'll miss the old pine cone. (When we bought this car, it was the first year Honda made CRV's and I thought the name was stupid. I decided it needed a more nature-like name, and the first one that popped into my head was "pine cone". The nickname didn't really take hold, but I've always kind of liked it.)
So, loaded up with the contents of the CRV, we returned to the car lots to check out our other options. In the parking lot of some dealership, I hopped out of the car to look closer at a car on the lot. The kids stayed in the car. I chatted with a salesman, all the while hearing the thump of the bass from 93.1 coming from the car. When I opened the door to get back in, I heard Snoop Dogg on the radio and the smell of marijuana smoke wafted out. I laughed, wondering what that salesman must have been thinking.
Dealership to dealership we went, test driving some (Toyota Scion) and just looking at others. My parents had previously agreed to take the kids so that we could go to Two's parent/teacher conference, so I dropped them off at their house, drove over to pick Bob up at work, and headed back into central Madison to school. We had a great conference, and quickly headed back out to squeeze some more car shopping in, sans kids. (My folks generously agreed to feed the kids and take them to wrestling to give us some more time.)
We test drove a Honda Civic and an Accord - drawn to the great gas mileage. Bob really needs more of a hatchback to haul stuff for work, so we kept on looking. We checked out the Honda Element, which is Bob's "dream" car (?? I don't get it) but it's only a 4 seater. No go for a family of 5. We test drove a Nissan Cube (again with the boxy!). Our time was up, so we headed back to get the kiddos.
Back home to regroup, we tried to narrow down our priorities. How important is a new car? Do we buy foreign or domestic? Do we focus on gas mileage or cargo space? How about all wheel drive? How long do we want this car to last? Should we just get a beater that we can pass on to One when he's of driving age in 6 (really?! only 6!!) years?
I found a very helpful website: www.cargurus.com We stayed up late on Thursday and Friday night, searching through the internet, trying to make a game plan for Saturday. On Saturday morning, we headed out in the cold and rain, determined to find our car. We were willing to travel out of town (had some possibilities in Columbus, Whitewater and Waukesha). We test drove a Nissan Versa and a Kia Soul, and by this time, I realized that it was a distinct possibility that we would end up with one of these quirky, boxy little numbers that I would be slightly embarrassed to be seen in. The kids were fighting and stabbing each other with pencils (you think I'm exaggerating?), so Bob dropped Two and Three and I off at the McDonalds playland for some food and play (both of which were quite depressing), and he and One went back out car shopping.
And then. Bob called me, rather excitedly. He found a 2003 Honda CRV with only 25,000 miles on it at a dealership in Middleton. He was coming over to pick us up to test drive it, but I could tell in his voice that this may be the one. The pulled in, and I gasped - it was very close in color to the very first new car I ever bought -- a 1990 Honda Civic. Felt like good (car)karma! The car looked brand new. The story was that a couple in their 80's hauled this behind their RV when they wintered in Arizona, so it had very low miles on it. I liked the car's back-story.
We went back to the dealership, haggled a bit on the price, got them down a bit, and made the deal. So, we are the proud new owners of a 7 year old car which appears to have been in a time capsule (the plastic protective covering is still on the radio). It has the all wheel drive, which we decided was a number one priority. We are long-time Honda fans, so we feel confident that this car will take us another 200,000 miles. It even has a moon roof! And, in total coincidence, after deciding to buy the car, twice we've been followed by a CRV that looked to be the same year and was definitely the same color.
I have suggested to One and Two (both of whom have become nice storytellers, in part due to a fabulous "writer's workshop" curriculum in their schools) that they should make up a story from the car's perspective -- how the car used to have this quiet life with an older couple who didn't use it much, and now it's about to have a much different life with this loud, wild group of boys.
Monday, November 1, 2010
miscellaneous Monday
What a great weekend - thanks for asking! Here are some snapshots of our Friday activities....
We biked to the Kohl Center to go to one of our favorite little buddy's birthday party, which took place at the UW Women's Hockey game.
How cool is that?!
We then decided to bike on over to State Street to trick or treat with participating businesses. Our costumes were, well, lacking, but we had the spirit! Here my boys are posing with the hear no, see no, speak no evil monkeys:
And an extra picture of Three, because he is just so darn cute:
In other news, I just found out my brother and sis-in-law are moving to Palestine. I am excited for them, though a teeny bit leery too. However, I'm NOT going to miss this chance to visit, like I did when he was in the Peace Corps in Mali, W. Africa. Hear that, Mark? I'll come to see you, whether you like it or not! (4 years? really??) (and the kids are all signed up for their Arabic foreign language classes, so they'll be ready to communicate with you)
As a side note, October is the month where I've personally experienced the most death. I've been to more funerals in October than any other month, I'm sure of it. Maybe it's because of that, but I've been having very interesting dreams lately where my dead beloveds (friends and family) visit me. They seem more real than my other dreams, and there are some recurring themes. I'd love to go to a psychic to explore this further. I like these dreams, although they do leave me a bit shaken when I wake up.
And lastly, I realized this afternoon that when a recipe calls for 3 cups of cooked rice, you don't need to use 3 cups of dry rice. Doh! Rice, anyone?
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